President Biden tossed aside his inaugural promise to go for “unity,” saying Monday that the impeachment hearing targeting former President Trump “must happen.”
Biden initially was tight-lipped about impeachment, with small hints that he was against it, but agreeing to let Congress choose.
But this Monday, after House impeachment leaders gave the article of impeachment over to the Upper Chamber, Biden agreed with the trial:
President Biden give his longest comments since taking power on former President Trump’s impeachment hearing, saying to CNN, “I believe it must happen.”
Biden issued the statement during a short interview with CNN in the White House. He admitted the effect it could have on his plans and nominee confirmations but said things would be “worse if it did not happen.”
Biden expressed to CNN he thought the result would be different if President Trump had six months left, then followed up by predicting that getting 17 GOP senators to vote against Trump would be impossible.
Five days previously, Biden’s Inaugural Address had the idea of “unity,” giving the word at least eight times. Yet still, even knowing the Senate is unlikely to rule against Trump, and despite his campaigning on the urgent need for covid relief, President Biden is not only allowing, but actively pushing an effort to get revenge on Trump.
Many GOP Senators are saying publicly that the Senate does not have jurisdiction to try an ex-president:
I object to this unconstitutional sham of an “impeachment” trial and I will force a vote on whether the Senate can hold a trial of a private citizen.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 25, 2021
On Special Report, @SenTomCotton says a Senate impeachment trial of a private citizen is beyond the Constitution’s authority.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 25, 2021
Biden stated during his Inaugural Address: “[T]o secure the future of and restore the soul of America – takes more than words. It needs that most rare of things in a democracy: Unity.”
The Senate must now redirect resources and time to the hearing, interrupting coronavirus relief.
